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[center [pic http://i.imgur.com/H5NOvZ5.gif]][center [font "Times New Roman" Group - Chinese Zodiac - Curses - Drama - Edo Japan - Adventure - Romance - Adv. lit]][center [font "Times New Roman" [#b80202 [b On a night with no clouds and no stars,]] a young man stumbled upon a run-down shrine. In his drunken stupor, he tripped over his own feet, knocking over one of the old statues as he tried to catch himself. Lying in the rubble, smoke began to rise from the cracks on the statue, shimmering in the air. Thinking that he was just too drunk and he had begun to see air, the young man turned his back to the shrine and began to leave. In the dead silence, a dark chuckle rang out. Swiftly turning around, where the air was once shimmering, stood a man whose eyes glowed a brighter than the moon."You break my statue and just leave?" His voice held no malice, but his eyes held a glimmer of something else."Your statue?" The drunken man slurred. "That is the last thing you should be pissed about. This place is a dump." The statement made the mysterious man chuckle.Without another word, he stepped forward, stating inches away from the drunken young man. "You live your life with no responsibility. You need something to weigh you down." Before the drunk could retort, the mysterious man held up his right hand. With horror, the young man watched as the hand turned transparent, an odd marking began to shine even with the hand transparent."What are you-" His question turned into a cry as the hand was plunged into his chest. It felt like talons were wrapping around his heart and his blood turned to liquid fire."We are now the same." The mysterious man, ripping his hand out of the drunks chest and watched with mild amusement as the drunk slunk to the ground, gasping for breath as his body began to transform. "Almost. I've given you a wonderful responsibility. Not just to yourself, but the lives of twelve others now." The drunk's eyes were no longer glassy, they held a quiet fury as he stared up at the mysterious monster man, his own skin beginning to glow unnaturally. "You must face seven of my challenges and make to the foot of the immortal mountain within six years. It will take all of you to lift this curse. If one fails, you all will." Just as quickly has he appeared, he disappeared leaving nothing but an unholy chuckle in his absence. ]][center [font "Times New Roman" [b [u The Gist;]] You have been cursed with one of the animals from the [u Chinese Zodiac]. Now you have to work together with the other cursed victims in order to lift the curse. You only have six years to lift the curse, however whenever you use an ability your curse has given you or your curse to triggered you will [u lose] years off your lifespan. You have to face seven challenges as you travel your way to Mt. Fuji. So how hard can this be, right? We will start off in China and journey to Japan.]]

[center [pic http://i.imgur.com/TxkQvEs.gif]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd Don't make a habit] of "empty posting." These are posts that are written at the correct literacy, but do not give other role-players anything to interact with or respond to.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd Illustrated pictures.] Make sure the character looks like they are from this time.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd Before you fill out an application,] make sure to look at the accepted characters before filling out an application so we don't get the same character x92.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd The following are powers that] you are [u NOT] allowed to use what-so-ever; magical wish granting, cosmic powers, warping reality, invulnerability, teleportation, time control, thoughts become reality, and omnipotence.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd Since this is a group role-play] I will have to make sure that everyone knows the rules and follows them as such. When you put in your application title the message 'Senpai DGAF'.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd There will be a character] limit of 4000 characters. This will be a lit. group.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd When it is your turn to post] I will be putting your character's name in the title of the thread.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd If you get skipped/fail to post 3 times,] you will be taken out of the role-play. I understand that real life is [u way more] important than this. That is why I will give you 9 days to get a post out.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd Romance is completely fine] however do not make it that entire point of your character. It is fine if two characters get together, I'm sure that it will happen. Do not let it take your character away from the story.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »][#f98bbd If you are accepted] make sure to make a character layout and send me the link. I [u WILL] be linking them in the thread.]][font "Times New Roman" [center [u »] Just follow the [http://rp.eliteskills.com/r.php?r=425 ESR]]][center [font "Times New Roman" [#b80202 [b The story]] will be starting off rather simply with adventuring as we slowly get sucked into the larger plot. I'd like for character-driven plots to come up as the story progresses alongside the main plot, giving each character a chance to shine, grow and influence future events. This RP will not be solely directed by myself; I'm hoping to get other creative and like-minded individuals to create something we can enjoy; an epic fantasy full of discovery, heartbreak, a little humour, and some sentimental moments. Please, if you're not willing to bring some ideas to the table and share in the burden of keeping a story going, don't apply.]][center [font "Times New Roman" [#b80202 [b If you have any questions, feel free to PM me or visit the OOC]]]][center [size10 [http://rp.eliteskills.com/r.php?r=148012 OOC link]][hr ][center [pic http://i.imgur.com/JHBtxm5.gif]][center [font "Times New Roman" [size42 [u The Cursed]]][center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393722 The God][tab][tab] [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393548 The Tiger][tab][tab] [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393809 The Dragon]][center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393864 The Sheep] [tab][tab][http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393827 The Dog] [tab][tab][http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393817 The Snake][center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393813 The Rat][tab][tab] [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393969 The Horse][tab][tab][http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393900 The Rabbit]][center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393991 The Boar]][center [font "Times New Roman" [size42 [u Open Roles]]][center [font "Times New Roman" [size18 The Monkey[tab][tab] The Rooster[tab][tab] The Ox]]][center [pic http://i.imgur.com/XzzbGd8.gif][font "Times New Roman" [center Your application needs to be in your character's point of view.]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b What is your name?]]][center [i "Characters name {Can be Japanese or Chinese}"]][center [#b80202 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b Do you have any nicknames?]]] [center [i They don't need to have one.]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b How old are you?]]][center [i Age of the character]][center [#b80202 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b What is your gender? Who attracts you?]]] [center [i Gender and sexuality]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b You are cursed? With what? Why were you cursed?]]] [center [i Yes. What role your character will have. Why they were cursed to begin with.]][center [#b80202 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b What triggers your curse?]]][center [i What triggers the curse to work.]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b How many years do you have left?]]] [center [i How many years do they have in their life span life. ]][center [#b80202 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b What exactly does your curse do?]]] [center [i Each curse as three abilities to the person. One of the abilities enhances something and it costs nothing. Like with the Tiger, in enhanced her hearing. The second costs months of their life. The third is the most powerful and it takes years off of their life. ]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b What is your personality like?]]][center [i Your character will describe themselves here.]][center [#b80202 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b Where were you when your curse finally took hold?]]][center [i The curses don't set in the moment that it happens. It has to be triggered in order to work. Where were you when the trigger happened? How did people react?]][center [#FFC1C1 ●][font "Times New Roman" [b Anything else?]]][center [i Tidbits about your character. Likes, dislikes? Hobbies? Add whatever else you want to add in about your character here.]][center [font "Times New Roman" I will not need a back story. That should come out later in the story when you character feels up to telling/revealing it.]]

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Roleplay Responses

[Spectral Narrowing her eyebrows, Jun's cheeks puffed up in anger as she listened to Tadashi reason with the drunk man and Chiuksa respond with [b [#7eaefc "I do not think 'teaching him a lesson' is a good idea."]] Thoughts of how to defend Qin rushed into her mind and left just as quickly as they entered. Jun knew the reality was she couldn't do much for her, the only thing she could do was use her [i curse], but was an old man telling lies, or truths, worth time off her life?

[#ADADAD [b “M-my uncle was just joking sir!”]] the boy who accompanied the drunkard stammered as Tadashi's body rose a bit, his knuckles popping under the table in a threatening way. [b “The hell I am!” ] the long haired girls narrowed eyes shifted towards the older, drunk man again as her chest released a heavy sigh of annoyance. Couldn't the old man take a queue? Although Jun didn't necessarily believe Tadashi would assault the man like his previous actions suggested, she was hoping the old man would.

[#342769 [b “Best be careful with who are you are joking with in the future though, so might not take kindly to it.”][b [#ADADAD “Of course, I apologize for my uncle. He has had a hard day.”]]

[#CD5C5C [i He's hard a hard day?]] rolling her eyes, the girl couldn't help but let out an irritated laugh. Having a bad day didn't warrant such behavior, it's understandable that he would act out but he is a grown man. If all men acted like this when they had a bad day Jun would have to seriously reconsider her want for a family.

[#342769 [b “Well. Perhaps you should recite us a story.”]] Tadashi's voice teased the snake boy has his lanky arm wrapped around her shoulders, his hand lying comfortably instead of holding her. [#342769 [b “My [i wife] and I would hear one and I’m sure it would make the group feel better.”]] Unwillingly letting out a nervous laugh, her cheeks pinked as her hand rose to grab a handful of his fingers, squeezing them in her grip. [#CD5C5C [b "Ah, yes dear, you know how I love stories, especially fables. "]]

Turning her head back to look at the restaurants doorway, she watched as unknown people come in and leave the restaurant. [#CD5C5C [i No Qin..]] her lips tugged into a subtle frown as she sympathized with the Dragon girl. She knew how embarrassing it was to be called out in public, she had been publicly shamed before as well. But her response to the accusations made Jun feel as if the old mans words held some truth. Turning back to the table, she began to speak softly before interrupted by Himeko. [#CD5C5C [b "Maybe we shou--"]][#e80454 [b "I'm going to check on Miss Qin." ]] Himeko beat her to the punch, but it was probably for the best. Jun had only known Qin for a few hours, plus, those two girls were the ones most spoken of by the drunk man so it was best they comforted each other.

Diverting her gaze to the white haired man across the table from her, she watched as his judging eyes followed the young girl. Remembering what he had said earlier about Himeko acting more like a new bride, Jun half heartily agreed. They would look suspicious if Himeko would act like a stranger to her husband, but it was unlikely the staff was watching over the party with a keen eye. Shrugging to her own thoughts, the woman supposed if a server came back asking about her the group would come up with some lie about why she left. [b [#342769 "Oh they're just freshening up in the bathroom, special night y'know~"]] Tadashi's voice cooed in her head as she thought of possible things that could be said.

Upon hearing the tale was to be about a love story, Jun's frown was turned upside down. The sheep girl [i loved] love stories. She herself has never found herself in love, more like obsessed, her family told her they were the same thing but she decided on her own they were different for her. Leaning forward to rest an elbow on the table and her chin in her hand, she listened to Chikusa intensively as he told the tale about a beautiful, loveless woman. Her father taking it upon himself to help her love life. [#7eaefc [b "Why don't you continue the story however you like? You do not have to follow the real tale." ]]

Looking over to En, a boy who had been Himeko's quiet husband, she nodded at him in a reassuring way, even if he didn't know or see her do it. Embarrassingly, Jun was excited for the story to continue, it was the only thing keeping her mind off of what had just happened with Qin and Himeko.

[#317d7a ~ [pic http://cdn.steamcommunity.com/economy/emoticon/blueflame] ~][QuestrialA pair of narrowed eyes followed after Himeko. She was doing the exact opposite of acting like a proper bride, and she wasn't even giving her 'groom' acknowledgement even if it was just for show. While he truly believed that Qin could handle herself outside, he decided to pay Himeko's departure no mind for now. They may pass off as real sisters with the reaction, anyway.

[#c44a47 [b “Story, story, story, story, story, story, story.”]]

[i This pig,] Chikusa thought, with his mask of a smile, watching Tadashi gobble up most of the dumplings that was left. His former occupation was not very close to that of a bard's, and he did [b not] look old enough to be an uncle of anyone in the group. [i Ah, but it can't be helped.] Chikusa could at least play the part of an easy-going youngest uncle. He swore he'd get back to the loudmouth at some point for indirectly telling him he appeared old, however.

[#317d7a [b "Let's see, let's see~"]] he singsonged, closing his eyes in thought, searching his mind for a short story fitting for the "occasion." What came first were epics of majestic rulers and skilled samurai, but those did not suit the supposed mood, and he was not keen on boring his companions with stories meant to take more than three hours. He was then reminded of an old myth concerning two lovers, which he heard from a former co-worker. Stories involving gods no longer thrilled him after receiving his curse, but the longer he thought the less convincing it would be. He clapped his hands, tilting his head with an eager smile. [#317d7a [b "Shall we go for an old love story, then, [i children]?]]

[#317d7a [b "Once upon a time,"]] he started, his tone imitating that of someone telling a story to a bunch of little kids, [#317d7a [b "there lived a princess who skillfully weaved by the heavenly river. The princess, whose name is Orihime, was quite the hard-worker; she made beautiful clothes---prettier than the ones you will probably see in the city---but she was not truly happy. In fact, the princess was actually very sad."]] At the last word, he let the smile on his face fall for a moment, the tone dropping to emphasize the emotion suggested by the simple story. He shifted to the side, using his open palm on the floor as support, suggesting that he has become comfortable, fighting to turn back to his habit of maintaining his back straight and being in a proper sitting form in a public space.

[#317d7a [b "She feared that she will never find love,"]] he told them as he took a dumpling from the plate that still had more, securing it with his chopsticks. [#317d7a [b "A pretty sad thought for a maiden such as the princess, if I say so myself."]] He wagged his chopsticks, which held his dumpling, his tone suggesting nonchalance rather than sympathy, before he placed the serving into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed. [#317d7a [b "So!"]] He leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table, grinning with eyes that now shone with (faux) enthusiasm. [#317d7a [b "Her father, god of the heavens, who loved his daughter very, [i very] much, wanted to solve this... little problem of hers.]]

[#317d7a [b "He arranged her to meet a cow-herder who lived in the other side of the heavenly river. This man's name,"]] he raised a finger to provide emphasis for his next words, [#317d7a [b "is Hikoboshi. Now we are getting to the exciting part!"]] He pumped both of his fists, before resting his hands on his laps in an unsophisticated manner.

[#317d7a [b "When they met, they---"]] he paused, face scrunching up slightly in thought. They were not at an actual formal, proper wedding celebration, not with this kind of noisy place, not with the "bride" absent. While he did enjoy the spotlight, he does not mind sharing it in certain circumstances, and this may be one of them. A little fun would be fine, right? He was a [i fun] "uncle," after all.

[#317d7a [b "Why don't we do this differently? En?"]] He turned to En, who he never truly addressed until just a couple of minutes ago, and gave his shoulder a pat using his bandaged hands. [#317d7a [b "Why don't you continue the story however you like? You do not have to follow the real tale."]] He beamed at the man. [#317d7a [b "Then!"]] He gestured to the person next to En, [#317d7a [b "You can let the next person add something else to the story if you don't want to end it yet."]] He looked at the said person. [#317d7a [b "And so on, and so forth?"]] He tilted his head with the same wide smile.

Making shooing motions with his hand, he passed the story-telling task to the man with a pink streak on his hair. [#317d7a [b "Go on, go on! This uncle will accept no killjoys!"]] He brought his bowl of rice and pushed some of it into his mouth. Chewing, he asked, [#317d7a [b "What happened when the two of them met?"]] He tried not to wince at the inelegance he was displaying, as it was simply necessary.

[size11 [right [b *The story Chikusa started to tell is the Tanabata legend, or Qixi. Feel free to diverge from the story's canon.]]]

Qin leaned against the side of the building- arms crossed across her slender midsection. She had contemplated leaving, but what good would that do when she knew that they had a mission to continue? Something told her leaving would do them more harm than good. Not to mention that she had nowhere else to go if she left this group of people. Going back to where she’d come from was not an option at this point. ‘[#3AA8C1 [i Maybe I should alter my appearance a bit. It would keep people from recognizing me so easily,]]’ she thought to herself. Just a change of clothes wouldn’t be enough as that had been proven by the accusatory man.

She was pulled from her thoughts as the smaller brunette girl joined her outside. The silence between them was neither awkward nor comforting, but she honestly didn’t know what to say about the outburst that had occurred. Thankfully, it was Himeko who spoke up first. She hadn’t pried into Himeko’s life even after their first meeting because she knew that everyone was entitled to their own secrets. Though, hearing this from her was a bit of a surprise, it didn’t change Qin’s mind about her friend.

“[#3AA8C1 You’re much prettier than me. Outward beauty is only superficial. What you have is much deeper than that, and I honestly envy you more than I have any other woman I’ve met,]” She admitted finally after a brief lull in their exchange. “[#3AA8C1 I’m not saying all men are this way; please don’t let my cynicism keep you from pursuing a man if you desire one, but men enjoy perverting what is innocent. They enjoy taking that away from you until the point where you’re so bitter and cynical that no one will want you. Or at least, that’s been my experience.]” All she’d experienced in her life was people taking from he. Her innocence, her name, her agency to be her own person didn’t seem to matter to other people. Even friends she viewed with the utmost skepticism in fear that they too would take from her in some way even if she did not mean to act this way. Perhaps it was why she couldn't take someone like Tadashi seriously.

She took in the sight of the girl’s hands that were slowly changing to clawed paws rather than human hands. She'd been told about the girl's curse, but it still surprised her to actually see it. Qin reached over to take a light hold of Himeko's wrist- being careful of the claws. “[#3AA8C1 Calm down, Himeko. I know what he said about us, and I’m guilty of it as well, but you shouldn’t let people get to you. People like that take enjoyment out of seeing you squirm. Though, it’s mostly my fault. I thought I wouldn’t be recognized so far away, but I guess I was wrong.]” Qin sighed- turning her whole body now to face the other girl. “[#3AA8C1 I never lied about my past either. When we met, I told you I ran away, but I never told you why. That man from before frequented the compound where I ran away from. I lived in a red light district close to the capital. Where I lived was essentially a really expensive brothel, but we’re trained to play music, dance, and other art forms. We’re ranked not only by our outward appearance, but by our talents as well. If you can’t play music, dance, or hold a conversation, you’re not likely to make much money.]”

It was sad, but there were girls who lived there their whole lives and never repaid back their debt. Qin knew her debt was massive, but did her best to do what she could- even if it made her disgusted with herself to do it. “[#3AA8C1 When I was younger, my mother died, and my father had run out of money even though he was previously in the military. To make money, he told the madam of a tea house that he would give me to her for a large sum of money, and from the age of twelve to… well, now, I lived in the compound with the other girls that held a similar past as I did. My story isn’t necessarily rare. She took my name from me and gave me another one.Yao Zhenzhu is the name I was given by her, and a name I’d rather forget.]” Qin’s voice was quiet as she explained this. Despite there not being anyone else around, the last thing she wanted was someone to overhear them. She would explain this to the others at a later time when she knew it was a good time to do so. They were already distrustful of her, and so she'd let them think what they would for the time being. “[#3AA8C1 When we come of age, we can make more money by sleeping with the customers of the tea houses. The first time I ran away was the day I came of age. I was scared. Even though I saw this every day, it’s different when it happens to you. I was punished severely, and they added the money they had to refund to my debt. I ran to a nearby shrine. I suppose I angered the deity there as now I can’t even listen to the sound of stringed instruments. It sounds distorted and sour. For someone whose livelihood was music, it’s devastating.]” She rubbed her scaled shoulder with the hand that wasn’t touching Himeko’s hands. They both had constant reminderst that they'd fucked up.

“[#3AA8C1 I’m glad to hear you don’t think of me any differently, but I honestly wouldn’t blame you if you did. You’re free to hold any opinion of me after hearing this. I just want to break our curses so we can go back to living at least semi-normal lives.]” It was obvious that Qin didn’t have high hopes. Friendship would be nice, but most people didn’t like associating with people like her. Surely the others would hold negative opinions for a long time, but that didn't matter to her; only their end goal mattered.

“[#3AA8C1 I think I should cut my hair though. Only to make myself less recognizable, and make things easier on this group. When we leave here, of course just in case that man decides to follow us. I imagine the further away we go, the less that people will recognize me.]” There were many mixed feelings in her decision to cut off her light colored locks, but if cutting it short would solve their issues, then she would do whatever made it easier.]

[http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393548 [center [pic http://i.imgur.com/KLXFx1g.gif]]][google-font http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Bad+Script][center [#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][size8 [+white X]][tab][tab][tab][size20 [#f478a9 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄]] [size30 [+white X][#ac4970 ♚][#f478a9 *][size21 [#f478a9 ◣ ]][b [#ac4970 THE TIGER]] [#ac4970 ⇁]]][size11 Everything in the room was drowned out by the rhythmic rapid beating of her heart. Her fingers quietly snapped and bent into hideous shapes until the curse fully took hold of her hands. A lump formed in her throat, her face paled. [i [#ac4970 ‘Thank goodness I am wearing red.’]] Himeko let out a small shaking sigh. The intruder had come and gone, just as Miss Qins anger. Carefully, the little tiger tucked her bleed hands up into her baggy sleeves. She was bleeding next to the worse person. Out of the corner of her chocolate hues, Himeko would see that Tadashi was speaking, but the thunderous beating of her heart took away whatever sounds he was making. Even in her newly forming state, she still doubted that they held any importance to her. Once more she attempted to clear her throat and calm her bundling nerves.

[#317d7a [b “For starters, that means the newly-wedded 'couple' needs to act like one.”]]Perhaps it was because the Snake was sitting close to her that his voice was able to reach her through the pounding of her heart. Himeko honestly didn’t want to waste the time to think about it. Instead, she offered Chikusa a weak half-smile as her eyes met his briefly. [#ac4970 [b “I..”]] The young woman trailed off. [#ac4970 [i ‘Need to get fresh air. Need to get out of here before Chikusa sees my hands before anyone sees my hands. Just can’t be around people?’]] Her spinning mind tried to come up with an answer that would not alarm anyone. [#ac4970 [b “I am going to go check on Miss Qin.”]] Himeko’s voice came out quiet, only cracking slightly when she spoke the other females name. All in all, she wasn’t lying, but it would be a lie to say that Miss Qin was the first thing that her mind began to worry about whenever the drunk was rambling on. A part of her wanted him to keep going. To get the information about what happened afterward out of him. Was her village still there? Had he held up his part of the bargain? She certainly did not, though if the curse had not taken hold of her, Himeko knew in the depths of her soul that she would have. Dying for the greater good was better than dying without a cause. At least that was what she had repeatedly told herself then.

Before Tadashi could object, the little Tiger was already moving. Away from the table, away from the drunk, past the much smaller crowd, to stand at Qins side. Her hands had begun to throb in their transformed state. Claws had taken the place where fingernails have once been, the human flesh turned into white and black coarse fur. Thankfully, her long sleeves covered it up nicely, the only thing that would get anyone's attention would be the small drops of blood that came from the crescent shapes bites in the palm of her hand from where she had clenched her hand during the transformation. The pair stood there in silence for a moment, the only sound around them was the pitter patter of raindrops hitting the restaurant and ground around them. Himeko took a breath in and was the first to break their silence. [#ac4970 [b “I did not keep my marriage a secret from you. Would be marriage.”]] She corrected herself. [#ac4970 [b “My brother always used to say ‘people ask more about a frown, then they do a smile.’ It may not mean much, but I took it to heart. I used to think that if I smile enough, maybe I would fool myself into thinking that nothing was wrong with things, with me. I’ve..I’ve never really had friends so I have never confided in anyone. Aside from my brother and the small animals around the village.”]] Himeko added in, brown eyes locked onto the puddle in front of them. [#ac4970 [b “I say that..but I do not think I would have told anyone if I could have avoided it. It was...a..”]] Himeko’s brain scrambled to come up with the right wording. It took a few minutes of stumbling in the dark for it to find them.[b [#ac4970 “Forced marriage. He would get me and in exchange, he would leave my village alone. He is, maybe was, a lieutenant in the emperor's army. One word and they could have easily wiped my village out. The day we met, I wasn’t allowed to talk...It was the first time I wore makeup, now that I think about it.”]] Himeko shifted her eyes slightly over to Qin, a small smile playing on her lips. [b [#ac4970 “I did not look half as pretty as you Miss Qin. So I really do not know why he demanded me.”]] The little Tiger looked back out at the rain, clenching and unclenching her fists. Her claws digging in a little bit more.

[b [#ac4970 “The night before my wedding, I was told I would no longer be allowed to carry my brother's sword. The days leading up to my wedding the words ‘not allowed’ are the only real words that I can remember people saying to me… I...I didn’t want my family to have it. They didn’t deserve it.”]] Her voice shook with a sad rage. Himeko took in another small breath before continuing on. [b [#ac4970 “So that night I tossed his sword, the sword that I have now, into the lake near our village. It...was the last place that I saw him. There had been stories passed down about an old shine being under the lake, I never paid much attention to them. I guess I should have...because after I tossed the sword in the god that cursed me appeared. The next morning, before the wedding, my soon to be husband paid me a visit in my chambers. Nothing eventful happened since we were surrounded by the women trying to get me ready. I just remember thinking that I didn’t want him to touch him, to stop touching me and then…”]] Himeko looked around to make sure that there was no living soul nearby before she let her sleeves ride up her arms, revealing her inhumanly hands to Qin. [b [#ac4970 “It did not stop at my hands...I lost control and slice his face….”]] Shaking her head, she let her sleeves fall back over her hands and claws. [b [#ac4970 “Then I ran….I’m still running. Not just from him but from a lot of things. What that old man said about me was the truth. I don’t know if what he said about you was truth or lies, but Miss Qin, you have always been nice to me and that is all I know you to be. I don’t care about your past, it is there to shape you but...in my mind, it does not define you. You are simply Miss Qin to me.”]]]

[center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393722 [pic http://i.imgur.com/min76E7.gif]]][google-font http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Amatic+SC][size18 [#f6b54a ❖][#c44a47 ↓][b [#5c5b3d BOW Y]][#f6b54a ˟][b [#5c5b3d OUR]] [#c44a47 〉][i [#f6b54a !]][b [#5c5b3d HEADS]][#f6b54a ,] [#c44a47 ▪][#f6b54a ▪][tab][tab][tab][tab][#f6b54a ━━][#c44a47 ◢]][size25 [b [#5c5b3d THE]]][size18 [#f6b54a ◟][#c44a47 :]][size25 [b [#5c5b3d GOD]]][size18 [#f6b54a ⌞]][center [#c44a47 ▇][#c64f47 ▇][#c95447 ▇][#cb5a47 ▇][#ce5f48 ▇][#d06448 ▇][#d36948 ▇][#d56f48 ▇][#d87448 ▇][#da7948 ▇][#dc7e48 ▇][#df8349 ▇][#e18949 ▇][#e48e49 ▇][#e69349 ▇][#e99849 ▇][#eb9e49 ▇][#eda349 ▇][#f0a84a ▇][#f2ad4a ▇][#f5b24a ▇][#f5b24a ▇][#f2ad4a ▇][#f0a84a ▇][#eda349 ▇][#eb9e49 ▇][#e99849 ▇][#e69349 ▇][#e48e49 ▇][#e18949 ▇][#df8349 ▇][#dc7e48 ▇][#da7948 ▇][#d87448 ▇][#d56f48 ▇][#d36948 ▇][#d06448 ▇][#ce5f48 ▇][#cb5a47 ▇][#c95447 ▇][#c64f47 ▇][#c44a47 ▇]][font "Times New Roman" [size12Just when everything was going smoothly, a drunkard had to come in and run everything. How were the ladies going to love him with this guy showing up and ruining everything? Tashi let the drunkard ramble, giving away Qin's - if that was her name - secrets. The small mention of Himeko made him raise a brow at the youngest of their group, though for the first time she remained silent. The smile gone and face now an unattractive pale. Interesting. The God made a mental note to comeback to this whenever they had a free moment later. While Himeko took the silent approach, Qin met the man with anger. Where she had been calm and mostly soft spoken, now Tashi assumed was a look of quiet fury had swept her features. Just as quickly as her anger came, it washed away from her face. Her voice still held a hint of her outburst as she excused herself.

[+red [b “-Ripped his eye out!”]] The drunkard slurred, jabbing his index finger at Himeko, the cup in his hand sloshed out the liquid that splashed over Tashi’s face.Tadashi opened his mouth to speak, ready to lash out, but stopped, pausing long enough to think about his words. He wasn’t the same man that he was a few years ago. [#c44a47 [b “Sir. If you don’t leave my little sister alone, I will carry you out of this fine establishment. These arms are only meant for carrying the ladies, so it would be pretty when you and I leave here.”]] The goofy smile never left his face and his voice held its normal chipper tone. Regardless of the words the drunkard said, Tadashi held them with little light. He had known many drunks in his day, most didn’t know their ass from their elbow when they were as far gone as this one. [#c44a47 [b “Besides my little sis has more important things to fret over right now.”]] He waggled his eyebrows at Himeko trying to strike a reaction, however, the young woman was still lost in thought, miles away from there.

[+red [b “This-”]] Tadashi rolled his knuckles against his kneecap, each one popping loudly as the God made a motion to start to stand. Whenever he said he would do something, Tadashi rarely never did it.[b “M-my uncle was just joking sir!”] The sheepish man that had sat idly by until now moved towards the older rambling man.[+red [b “The hell I am!”]][b “T-that is also a joke!”] The man was trying to corral the older man back towards their own table.[#c44a47 [b “Oh man, you had me going there old timer!”]] Tadashi scratched the back of his neck, his smile wider than before. [#c44a47 [b “Best be careful with who are you are joking with in the future though, so might not take kindly to it.”]] For the slightest second the permanent smile that had been plastered on Tadashi’s face vanish and was replaced with something more sinister.[b “ Of course, I apologize for my uncle. He has had a hard day.”] The statement made Tashi snort. One was going to have a hard time relating to this group if one hard day was enough to set him off.

Chikusa’s words of acting their parts made him grin. [#c44a47 [b “Well. Perhaps you should recite us a story.”]] Tashi squinted at the long haired man. [#c44a47 [b “Or am I thinking of a bard? I am fairly certain that our ‘older’ uncle can tell us stories. Since you look like you have been around awhile.”]] Tadashi slung an arm across Jun’s shoulders, his hand not touching her, but flowing over her shoulder. [#c44a47 [b “My [i wife] and I would hear one and I’m sure it would make the group feel better.”]] Jun had spoken out with anger after Qin had left. It seemed that they had already made a bridge of kinship to be able to have such strong emotions towards one another. In a lower voice, Tadashi continued. [#c44a47 [b “We will stay here for a bit longer. No use trying to travel in the rain when we can wait it out. Just ignore people like that, feed into them and you give them more fuel, ignore them and they tend to burn out pretty quickly.”]] He had watched it many times back at home. However, the fire never burned out and things had continued to get worse.

[b [#ac4970 “I am going to go check on Miss Qin.”]] Himeko spoke up for the first time, swiftly and silently moving before Tadashi could advise her otherwise. Qin’s earlier rant rang in his ears and he decided that if Qin had Himeko with her, even if their earlier [i guest] decided to follow them the young tiger could take care of them both.[#c44a47 [b “Story, story, story, story, story, story, story.”]] Tadashi returned his attention to Chikusa. After each word, he plopped a dumpling into his mouth. Where there had earlier been a rather large pile soon there was only a single dumpling left.]

[#317d7a ~ [pic http://cdn.steamcommunity.com/economy/emoticon/blueflame] ~][Questrial[b [#ac4970 “So, you are useless in a fight or near any slight injury.”]]

The usual smile on the silver-haired man’s face twitched, and he had to consciously keep his brows from furrowing. He was well aware of the fact that he was not gifted in physical combat, but he did not like the way the girl put it.Still listening to the girl as she talked, he inspected her body language and the manner in which she spoke. While she refused to meet his gaze, he had the sense that Himeko was simply careless with her words and her word choice, and gave her the benefit of the doubt that she originally meant no harm. A part of him, though, would like to assume that she was simply a skilled actress, but he would go with the first idea for now.

[b [#317d7a “I am afraid the god who cursed me was just as unhelpful,”]] he replied plainly, shrugging off his earlier irritation. He briefly considered mentioning that while he believed his statement is true, he suddenly had the thought that the snake wrapped around his body may be a hint of some sort of “help” the biased god gave him. There were times that when his curse was triggered, the snake seemed to have a mind of its own. But since he initially thought that mentioning the snake was unnecessary, he decided against telling them about it.

The long-awaited liquor was finally poured into his small cup. [b [#317d7a "Ah, thank you,"]] he mumbled his thanks towards Jun, accompanied by a habitual smile. He took a sip from his cup and felt the liquid flowing through his being, gradually warming his body, immediately lifting his mood. He also took meager servings of each dish on the table and on top of the rice in his bowl. Taking a bite off his dumpling, Chikusa was met with the surprise that the food was actually good, despite how hassled the eatery’s employees must currently be. They’re pretty capable.

With a fill of sake and good food, Chikusa was in a pretty good mood that when he heard Himeko tell Jun that she was never taught how to handle sake correctly, he was almost willing to offer to be his mentor for handling liquor because [i nonsense, a lady your age must start learning how to handle alcohol! You have no idea how beneficial drinking parties are!] That was until she slid the cup to his side of the table and said, [b [#ac4970 “You can have this, you seem like you drink a lot.”]]

[i Did she just imply that she thinks I'm a drunkard? How dare---?]

The contented smile on Chikusa’s face froze, and it took every fiber of his being to not react. She was truly testing his patience, and he was becoming more convinced that the girl truly was an actress at some point of her life and she all along just wanted to break his perfect composure. He was not going to give her that satisfaction so he proceeded to enjoy his food and to ignore the extra cup filled with alcohol on his part of the table.

[+red [b "I'll prove it!"]]

An eyebrow rose in disbelief at the obviously drunk man who approached their table and slung his arm around Qin, telling everyone that their group lied and that he used to be… involved… with Qin when she was working at a brothel, according to him, anyway. [i Ah, this kind of men is always so troublesome.] His narrowed gaze flitted to the man’s current victim in sympathy. If the accusation was true, then the disparity between her figure and her clothes made sense. Still, this man was foolishly bold to admit in a room full of people that he had been attached enough to a courtesan to buy a jade comb for her. He looked at the other man who sat the same table where the drunk man came from. Their gazes met, and the man only bowed his head in shame, not even making an effort to restrain his companion who was making an unwelcome scene. [i Pathetic.]

Still dignified, it appeared, Qin denied the accusations, ending with a tone that welcomed no more arguments, before walking out. The man shortly retreated to his table, begrudgingly, Chikusa’s sharp gaze following the drunk. With a huff, he turned back to his companions who were caught in conversation once again.

If someone had caught on that they were lying, that could serve as a threat for the night, even if a drunk’s words were not exactly credible. [b [#317d7a "I do not think 'teaching him a lesson' is a good idea,"]] he said. [b [#317d7a "Not yet, anyway."]] The man, even if intoxicated, did seem like he really knew what he was talking about, especially with what he said tying up with what Himeko told them about her wedding day. On the off chance he gets proven to be right, they would be in trouble.

[b [#317d7a "We do need to finish up quickly, but we also need not to waste the luxury of food."]] He learned all too well during his travels alone how valuable food was. Who knows, they might not even have an eatery in the place where hunger catches them tomorrow. He leaned forward, his voice lower, [b [#317d7a "I believe we can buy ourselves and Qin,"]] he gestured to her unfinished meal, remembering that she was also cursed with a large appetite, [b [#317d7a "some time [i [#317d7a and]] disprove that man by [i actually] acting like we're celebrating a wedding."]] He side-eyed Himeko and Lin. [b [#317d7a "For starters, that means the newly-wedded 'couple' needs to act like one."]]

He shook his head at the girl’s apology. “[#319177 I appreciate that you say that, but you really don’t need to apologize,]” He was grateful that she seemed not to hold any ill will toward him outwardly, but he still wouldn’t push his luck in offending her a second time. The last thing that He wanted was to make their traveling experience a miserable one. Even as much as she reminded En of his sister, he had to remember that she wasn’t, and she was more than capable of taking care of herself.

When alcohol was offered, En too refused it. He instead stuck to the tea in his cup. It was best to be sober in an unknown setting- especially if they’d have to leave the dry warmth of this eatery before long. As much as he wished they could stay inside, he knew that the hostess’ hospitality would only last so long, and she probably wouldn’t take too kindly to them if they loitered.

Opting for noodles rather than rice, the male was more than excited for the warm meal as he hadn’t had more than scraps for a long time. He opted for silence- listening to the others explain their own curses. He had to admit the gods had a weird sense of humor if they thought putting all of them in one place to work together was somehow a good idea. Deep down, En knew that they had been thrown together for a reason, but for now, he would focus on getting used to his rowdy companions.

“So, you are useless in a fight or near any slight injury,” Himeko’s words almost made the him laugh. He held it in, but only just. En cleared his throat, and attempted to return to a straight face- hiding his smile behind his teacup. He set his bowl down to fill it with noodles and vegetables once again as a man approached them.

“[+red I’ll prove it!]”

His eyebrow raised slightly in a questioning manner, but before he could ask exactly what the man was going to prove, he was already ranting drunkenly about the girl being someone he’d met before. She seemed to wear a face of discontent as she brushed aside his words so easily. The hair on the back of his neck prickled, and that was never a good sign. Seeing her so shaken left a bad taste in his mouth. The woman was normally so composed, and now it seemed like she was on edge. This outburst made him wonder if the rumors he’d heard about traveling around the northern part of the country had been true.

After Qin left the table, the man retreated back to his own table- glaring begrudgingly at them. He was seemingly a little defeated that he’d been unable to sway the rest of them into believing his story about having “bought her” once upon a time. It made En’s skin crawl at the thought of being paid for sex. Men like that reminded him of his youth and why his father was so adamant about teaching him and his sister how to protect themselves.

En nodded in agreement with Jun. Even if Qin was a prostitute, it wasn’t their business how she made her living. He had a lot of questions to ask the dragon girl, but he would wait until he knew her better to pry into her life. Curiosity killed the cat and all that he supposed. “[#319177 There are rumors that I’ve heard in my travels,]” He began. “[#319177 Rumors about girls being bought and sold like commodities just because their parents have run out of money. They would sell their daughters for large sums of money, and the people that buy them train them to be entertainers. Song, dance, calligraphy, and even sexual favors,]” They were technically escorts as Jun had put it, but they did more than just sex- not that he would get into technicalities with them as he was sure the history on such a subject would just bore them.

“[#319177 I wouldn’t mind if we taught him a lesson, but I think the best thing we can do for Qin is to give her a moment alone as well as the benefit of the doubt. I say we finish up here and find a place to rest for the night. We shouldn’t loiter,]” They were all in this together, and so it didn’t do well to dwell on these types of incidents.]]

[spectral "Any living thing that my bare hands will touch will get poisoned, and meeting my glare at my triggered state may turn you to stone."

"Medusa," she mouthed to herself as her eyes slowly shifted from the individuals talking to one of the people she had been sitting beside. Glancing at the boy beside her, she looked him over multiple times before realizing she had forgot or never known his name. He was.. scary, not pretty like the other boys she had known the names of. Looking over his long, black hair, she wondered how long it took for him to grow it out and if it was a burden to him at all.

Leaning over, Jun gently nudged Raiden's shoulder with her own to get his attention. Hoping it wasn't too sudden or rude, she took the chance to introduce herself. [b [#CD5C5C "Hey stranger, how you feelin'?"]] giving him a soft smile, her hand lifted to her face, pushing back strands of hair that had fallen into her face back behind her ear. [b [#CD5C5C "I'm Jun, what should I call you?"]] —

[b [#342769 “When the liquor arrives, would you mind pouring it? I would, but I don’t think half of those here would want me near them.” ]] Tadashi spoke as he snaked a long, slender arm around her shoulders. Instantaneously turning her head away from Lin in order to look at the dark-haired man, her lips instantaneously twisted into a smile as she saw his face. Jun didn't mind Tadashi, he was rowdy, overly confident and always knew when to interrupt her but he was oddly respectable. Nodding her head in agreement to his request, she had decided to do what she could to be useful at the time being. She was very grateful to Tadashi, Himeko and even Lin, for lying to get them a place to temporarily rest.

As the hostess coyly served the bottles of alcohol, Jun tilted forward once more in habit to thank the hostess. Doing what was asked of her, Jun asked each person individually if they'd like a glass, and if they were too busy talking, she poured them one just in case. Upon hearing Tadashi speak of having to share a room with nine other people, she herself decided to pass on the liquor. It was best to stay sober.

[b [#7eaefc "Lin? Jun?"]][b [#342769 “What does your curse do?”]]

[b [#CD5C5C "Ah, I guess I will answer first, Lin. I am capable of mind manipulation and I also have psychokinesis. A more tame side effect of my curse is that my hair grows a considerable amount in a small time frame. "]] Letting out an awkward laugh, she brought her tea cup to her lips for another sip before being questioned again.

[b [#342769 “What province are you from? You look very familiar. Are you from the city? Maybe the country near one?”]][b [#CD5C5C My family traveled a lot while I was growing up but I lived in the Jiangsu province these past few years. I lived close to the city of Shaghai and visited often. ]][b [#342769 “You have very luxurious hair.”]][b [#CD5C5C "I'd hope so it, it is one of my pride and joys." ]]

Letting out a soft but awkward laugh, her body instantly relaxed as the attention was moved away from her and to Taka, another pretty boy who could easily win a spot as a model for an elegant clothing store just like Chikusa, a.k.a Medusa. Watching as Tashi continued to interrogate what felt like everyone, she was suddenly surprised by the arrival of food. Focusing on continuous conversation had made her forget she was hungry, but actually seeing and smelling the food reminded her dying stomach that she was about to pig out.

Watching the other girls delicately pick and choose their foods, Jun wondered if she should follow their lead or eat as much as she wanted at the time, after all she didn't know when or what her next meal would be. After a short consideration time, she reluctantly decided to also be ladylike. Picking out a small bowl of rice, topping it off with tofu and vegetables. It was healthy and the rice was filing, it wasn't [i that] bad of a serving.

"[b I’ll prove it,]" a drunken man slurred as he stumbled and slumped into the seat next to Qin. Watching as the disgusting man wrapped his arm around the tiny dragon girl, the hair on the back of Jun's neck stood up as he continued to spout nonsense over "buying Qin" and making accusations of Qin working at a brothel. Watching as the girl dismissed almost everything he had said with ease, Jun's eyes followed her as she stood up and left the table momentarily. "[b [#CD5C5C Even if Ms. Qin was an escort it's none of his business, real men don't have to pay for sex. What a bastard!"]] the girl whispered quite loudly to herself with a huff before beginning to stuff her face with heaps of rice in order to soothe her anger and to keep her put from chasing Ms. Qin.

"[b [#CD5C5C "Sum-own neth to teath him a lethon]]" talking to herself with her mouth full of rice, Jun began to pile more food into her bowl. As weird as it was, Jun was unapologetically an emotional eater. As long as she was angry or sad she was going to continue to eat until she puked and she didn't care who watched.

Her words carried a hint of an implication that the Dragon woman didn’t know that she liked. She opted instead for a coy smile. She was rather distrusting of any compliment as they were more often than not backhanded and intimidating. Jun didn’t seem the type, but neither did any of the other women who’d offered her such compliments in the past. When jealousy sometimes meant sabotage of some sort from other courtesans, she’d rather not catch the envy of someone else. “[#3AA8C1 I’m sure the same could be said of you,]” Most of the women she knew would have killed for hair that long and shiny.

Qin was glad that the food had arrived so promptly. It drew her attention from her thoughts, and she decided that Jun’s compliment held no sense of malice, and that she shouldn’t be so distrustful of other women’s kind words. Whatever Tadashi had bribed the owner with had gotten them quite a feast. She had to say that she was quite impressed. It almost made her curious as to what exactly he’d paid with, but she could keep that curiosity at bay for the time being as there was no need to question this just yet.

Feeling small hands tug at her Hanfu, she gazed over at Himeko who seemed worried. A sigh fell from Qin’s mouth as she continued to speak- though this time in a lower tone so that the rest of the group didn’t hear their conversation as well. She had yet to tell the girl the details of why she’d left “home”- only that she’d run away, and they’d been fine to leave it at that. She knew that she’d have to tell Himeko eventually, and just hoped that it didn’t change the younger girl’s mind about her. “[#3AA8C1 Himeko, can we talk later about this in private? I think I owe you an explanation, but for now, yes let’s switch places.]” She agreed to switch the girl places, and quickly changed seats- seating herself in the corner where the Tiger girl had just sat.

Qin opted for a bowl of rice and a couple of the dumplings filled with meat. Even though she could eat more, she was a lady, and more so than that, she was in front of a fairly large group of people. It was best to keep her table manners rather than look like she didn’t have any.

“[#3AA8C1 Hm],” She mused- her mouth full of rice as she was addressed. She placed the bowl down and her chopsticks on top before turning slightly in her seat. “[#3AA8C1 No, I’m from a village to the north. Close to the capital, but not quite in it. My parents mostly traveled around China collecting folk songs and poetry. Despite his political training, my father enjoyed traveling more, and so we were never that well off,]” She mused- thinking back to her earlier childhood. “[#3AA8C1 When I was about seven, we moved close to the capital. I suppose I’ve picked up a few fashion tips from the girls who lived around me. I lived in a place where you either were someone beautiful and talented or you were not, so I’ve adapted to the competitive atmosphere,]” The other women were akin to sharks in the water, and she knew that if they knew they could get ahead of anyone, they wouldn’t hesitate to do it. “[#3AA8C1 I wish that I could tell you that I am more talented with music than fashion, but I’m afraid I cannot prove my words currently.]”

She listened to Tadashi speak about their living arrangements. She had no qualms with sharing one room with them as she knew it would be a tight squeeze on their monetary situation. They didn’t have time to work steady jobs to have an influx of money. As long as there was a proper place to sleep, then she wouldn't mind in the least.

Qin was halfway into a second bowl of rice topped with spicy beef when a drunken commotion came from across the eatery. A man slurring his speech was making his way across the room toward their group. Amber colored eyes refused to meet his gaze- hoping that he’d just leave them be and not cause a scene. She also hoped that it wasn’t her that he was ambling toward them for, but she already knew from Himeko’s words that he’d recognized her.

“[+red I’ll prove it,]” he slurred. “[+red Lying bunch of no good kids. Ain’t no one in this group married. And the only sisters you know is that flock of floozies, ain’t that right,]” he slung his arm around Qin’s shoulder- attempting to pull her close to him. Though she brushed his hand away. This only seemed to upset him further, but she couldn’t be bothered to care about his anger in her level of discomfort. He made her skin crawl now just as much as he did the first time that she’d seen him. She opted for silence until she found her voice.

“[#3AA8C1 Don’t you know it’s wrong to grope a lady- much less one you don’t know?]” She finally spoke- setting the now empty bowl on the table. “[#3AA8C1 Maybe you’ve confused us with people who are similar-]”

“[+red Hah! Lady, now that’s a good one,]” He laughed loudly. “[+red Last time I checked real ladies didn’t make their living in a whorehouse. It’s the young ones that are the most expensive. Think I even bought you an expensive jade comb if I remember. I think I caught her name was Zhenzhu. Isn’t that you?]” He let out a laugh as he continued to drink from the container of alcohol he’d carried with him. “[+red And your friend here, I heard she turned into a monster on her real wedding day!]” He gestured to Himeko.

There wasn’t a word to describe her embarrassment. Her fingernails bit lightly into her palms and her knuckles were white as she held herself back from stabbing him with her chopsticks- though they hardly made good weapons. “[#3AA8C1 My name is Sun Qin- not Zhenzhu,]” It wasn’t a lie technically. She was used to dealing with people like this despite her anger. “[#3AA8C1 I’m just a peasant girl; I’ve got nothing expensive in the way of combs or jewelry or clothing. Certainly not from you.]” She forced herself to meet his gaze- an ornery smile pulled at the corner of her lips. “[#3AA8C1 Now, if you don’t mind, my friends and I are eating. You can accuse me as you like, but I would greatly appreciate if you left. Them. Out.]” The last three words in her sentence were staccato- driven home to make a point in hopes that he’d just get bored of them and leave.

He refused to leave them, and continued on about how their group was lying. Qin tuned him out as she stood from her seat and left the table. The longer that she sat there, the harder it would be. She left the eatery and stood outside underneath the awning so that she wouldn’t get wet in the rain that continued to drizzle from the sky. Her shoulder itched as the scaled patch grew underneath her clothing, and her fingers moved to rub against the growing spot of scales. She’d have to wear long sleeves if she kept this up. Hopefully, everyone would simply ignore the exchange, and she could talk about this with Himeko at a later time away from everyone else. If they were curious, then she might answer their questions, but she would rather not talk about her past with virtual strangers just yet. ]]

[http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393548 [center [pic http://i.imgur.com/KLXFx1g.gif]]][google-font http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Bad+Script][center [#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][#ac4970 •][+white XXX][#f478a9 •][+white XXX][size8 [+white X]][tab][tab][tab][size20 [#f478a9 ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄]] [size30 [+white X][#ac4970 ♚][#f478a9 *][size21 [#f478a9 ◣ ]][b [#ac4970 THE TIGER]] [#ac4970 ⇁]]][size11Himeko ducked her head, staring intently on her hands as Qin berated the males in the group. However, it felt like she had also sent a small assault her way as well. Fidgeting with her fingers, the youngest of the group, refused to meet anyone's eyes until the hostess reappeared. Their eyes met for a moment but the smile that was given made Himeko drop her gaze instantly. From the depths of her soul, she wished Tadashi had chosen another to be in his made up story. The little brunette had already destroyed her own would be marriage, she didn’t need to destroy a fake one with that truthful tongue. Peering back up, those chocolate brown hues met with that of Lin’s. A slight flutter stirred in her stomach, vaguely she wondered what that meant. [b [#ac4970 “Thank you for carrying me.”]] She give a low nod, grateful to no longer met his gaze. Pink had filled her cheeks again. [b [#ac4970 “I-I’ve only been carried by my father and older brother so I apologize if I seem ungrateful. I just..I didn’t think...I don’t know how to deal with those kinds of situations.”]] The words stumbled out her mouth as Jun began to pour everyone drinks. Thankfully, the older girl didn’t deem it necessary to pour her any. Absent-mindedly, the young girl found herself staring directly at Yu. Not so much at his person, but at his eyes. A flare of jealousy rose within her at just how beautiful they seemed to be.

Tadashi began to speaking and Himeko took this time to relax, just for the moment. Tight muscles slowly began to loose the knots that had formed back in the fire pit. Fidgeting fingers slowly stopped their dance as they wrapped themselves around the tiny clay cup, drinking in the heat that radiated out from the hot tea. Sitting there, with her little cup of warmth, the Tiger let herself slip away from the conversations of the group. A small slip up in gaining information about her new allies. However, her curse didn’t let her moment go to waste. Those ears began to hunt for more than just the thought that was in her own head.***[b [+red “Did you see that group come in?”]][b [+blue “The wedding group?”]][b [+red “That ain’t no wedding group. One of them girls I’ve seen before. Ain’t no one's sister.”]][b [+blue “You think you know everyone.”]][b [+red “Is true! When I went to the city, paid for her. Two boys, I’ve seen too. Theater hubbub.”]][b [+blue “They just look like they should be. Be happy for the couple, they only get a few days of bliss before the sanity of marriage weighs them down.”]] Someone chuckled.[b [+red “Seen that ‘bride’ too! Turned into a monster on her last wedding day!”]][b [+blue “Uncle, I think you’ve had too much to drink.”]] Another chuckle, awkward this time.[b [+red “She did! Took half the generals-”]]

Himeko shook her head, closing her eyes tightly until she could no longer hear the conversation in the room next to theirs. Running her tongue along her bottom lip, wheels began to turn in her head. If one person could identify that many in their group, it could lead to trouble later on. The small girl gently tugged on Miss Qin’s haifu to get her attention. [b [#ac4970 “Would you switch sitting with me?”]] Himeko lowered her voice as she continued. [b [#ac4970 “I overheard someone speaking. It sounded as if they knew you.”]] The little Tiger left out the bit about paying since she wasn’t exactly sure what they had meant by it and now wasn’t the time to ask. She made a mental note to ask her about it sometime when they were not in the public eye. Or at least the group's eye. [b [#ac4970 “I think it would also be better,”]] she carried on, her voice returning to its normal volume, [b [#ac4970 “if we had someone that could fight between the ones that cannot. It might save us if we are to be ambushed.”]] Himeko could see why Miss Jun admired Miss Qin has much as she did. With graceful movements, the slightly older woman made it look very natural to switch places while Himeko found herself scrambling to get back into a proper upright position. Settling into her new place between Qin and Chikusa, the little Tiger listen to the group explain their curses. However, it didn’t last very long as her stomach growled out in protest while untouched food sat in front of her. The last time she had eaten had been the day before at breakfast. Her stomach growled out again as the realization of the thought hit her. With a sigh, Himeko reluctantly picked out three of the smaller dumplings for herself.

[b [#2C998E "If you would remember, the sight of blood triggers my curse, any living thing that my bare hands will touch will get poisoned, and meeting my glare at my triggered state may turn you to stone.” ]] The pretty snake went on, [b [#2C998E “there will also be markings of a snake's scales all over my body when the curse is in effect. That is the only time you have my consent to check my bare skin."]]

[b [#ac4970 “So, you are useless in a fight or near any slight injury.”]] Himeko chimed in, her mind scolding her for speaking before consulting with it. Those chocolate hues refused to look directly at him, as the same flutter from earlier began to fill her stomach whenever she looked too long at the silver haired snake. [b [#ac4970 “As of right now anyway.”]] She added in, still feeling as if she left a slight burn. [b [#ac4970 “I can be your sword until you manage it. Do you know if there is a way to turn someone back to their flesh once you’ve..statue..them? If not, I do not think it would be wise to turn used into stone in the middle of a fight. Unless they had an injury...it could be useful at that point...until we didn’t need them as a statue.”]] Himeko's brow frowned for a moment as her mind began working. [b [#ac4970 “If getting these powers under control is possible, I think that we should work towards that. But I have no idea if that is a thing? It wasn’t mentioned to me whenever I was [i blessed] with mine.”]] The goddess that had cursed her had said nothing at the time about gaining control. Perhaps it was one of those things that just eventually turned normal.

Stopping herself from rambling any further, Himeko nibbled on one of her dumplings. A happy smile began to rise on her lips as nibbles turned into bites. It wasn’t long before she began to work on her second one. [b [#ac4970 “Oh, you don’t need to do that.”]] The words had not left her lips fast enough, as Jun had already poured out some sake for her. [b [#ac4970 “I was never...taught? How to handle sake correctly. Thank you though!”]] The brunette carefully slide her tiny cup over to Chikusa plates. [b [#ac4970 “You can have this, you seem like you drink a lot.”]] She innocently commented towards the silver haired male, giving him a bright smile before setting her sights on someone that had spoken towards her earlier.

[b [#ac4970 “I’m sorry for how I reacted to your offer, En.”]] Himeko hoped she had gotten his name right. It had been a long journey and a lot of names had been thrust at her. [b [#ac4970 “I am not..used to people...helping? Offering help? Bluntly giving me help?”]] She fumbled with what the right thing to say was going to be. Honestly, the largest group she had ever been apart of had been the maximum of three, once four people. Most of the time, they had not spoke. [b [#ac4970 “I hope I did not offend you in any way. It was a very kind offer. It is just an offer I am not used to receiving.”]] The little Tiger gave him a small smile, hoping that that incident would not affect them in the future.][right [b [size11 ***Himeko is the only one that can hear them. Because of her curse.]]]

[center [http://rp.eliteskills.com/vc.php?c=393722 [pic http://i.imgur.com/min76E7.gif]]][google-font http://fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Amatic+SC][size18 [#f6b54a ❖][#c44a47 ↓][b [#5c5b3d BOW Y]][#f6b54a ˟][b [#5c5b3d OUR]] [#c44a47 〉][i [#f6b54a !]][b [#5c5b3d HEADS]][#f6b54a ,] [#c44a47 ▪][#f6b54a ▪][tab][tab][tab][tab][#f6b54a ━━][#c44a47 ◢]][size25 [b [#5c5b3d THE]]][size18 [#f6b54a ◟][#c44a47 :]][size25 [b [#5c5b3d GOD]]][size18 [#f6b54a ⌞]][center [#c44a47 ▇][#c64f47 ▇][#c95447 ▇][#cb5a47 ▇][#ce5f48 ▇][#d06448 ▇][#d36948 ▇][#d56f48 ▇][#d87448 ▇][#da7948 ▇][#dc7e48 ▇][#df8349 ▇][#e18949 ▇][#e48e49 ▇][#e69349 ▇][#e99849 ▇][#eb9e49 ▇][#eda349 ▇][#f0a84a ▇][#f2ad4a ▇][#f5b24a ▇][#f5b24a ▇][#f2ad4a ▇][#f0a84a ▇][#eda349 ▇][#eb9e49 ▇][#e99849 ▇][#e69349 ▇][#e48e49 ▇][#e18949 ▇][#df8349 ▇][#dc7e48 ▇][#da7948 ▇][#d87448 ▇][#d56f48 ▇][#d36948 ▇][#d06448 ▇][#ce5f48 ▇][#cb5a47 ▇][#c95447 ▇][#c64f47 ▇][#c44a47 ▇]][font "Times New Roman" [size12After a brief scolding from lady Qin, Tadashi wondered if it was from genuine concern for the other girl or a momentary lapse of jealousy that the slightly older girl let seep through. It didn’t take long before the rest of their group spilled into the room, taking their places at the table. Oddly enough, Tadashi found himself sitting next to Taka and Qin. Not that he didn’t think Qin was beautiful, she definitely had some shiny hair, but he would have enjoyed being surrounded by the ladies. Before he could utter a single complaint, food was placed in front of them. Without much thought, Tadashi slung an arm across the mousey girl's shoulders. [#c44a47 [b “When the liquor arrives, would you mind pouring it? I would, but I don’t think half of those here would want me near them.”]] He gave her a small smile and a wink before taking his arm back. As much as he would have liked to keep it there, food was more important than pleasures of the flesh a the moment.

As if on cue, the hostess came back with two bottles. One she placed in front of Tadashi and the other in front of the ‘happy couple’, giving a knowing smile at Himeko. Right, if this had been a real wedding, they would be exchanging drinks. The God couldn’t help the grin as he made eyes with the hostess. Too bad they didn’t have any rooms open. The thought made him pause for a moment. [#c44a47 [b “Once we find a place with any rooms, we might have to either all stay in one room or have two rooms. If we are splitting up rooms, the stays could be expensive as time goes on.”]] Tadashi paused, [#c44a47 [b “thank you.”]] He nodded his head as the tiny girl next to him began to pour the others their liquor. [#c44a47 [b “I doubt that there will be any place that has enough rooms that we can just double up. Our best bet from here would be one. Two if we are lucky.”]] Springing for tonight's food was fine in his mind. This was the beginning of their journey and he doubted that some of the group had journeyed anywhere with just a large group, facing any kinds of danger. Danger; bandits, soldiers, and whatever else was out there waiting for them. Tadashi mentally groaned. Himself, Himeko, Raiden, Lin and maybe Yu, could defend themselves in a pitch. However the rest of them, he doubted that some had even held a sword let alone killed someone before.

Pushing off dark thoughts, the dark haired God took a sip of his freshly poured drink. [#c44a47 [b “What does your curse do?”]] Tadashi rose a single brow at the older girl when she was done. She had been one of the last ones to chime in. Leaning back, the God popped his shoulders, rotating his arms this way and that until their muscles had straightened themselves out. [#c44a47 [b “What province are you from? You look very familiar. Are you from the city? Maybe the country near one?”]] He has been to a few of the villages outside of the capital city, whenever his brother went to visit he had always accompanied him. Though that had been many years ago, back when he could stand the sight of his older brother. Or maybe it was when his older brother could stand the sight of him. Tadashi couldn’t recall just who had started to hate on you. [#c44a47 [b “You have very luxurious hair.”]] He commented, taking another sip as his eyes traveled from her to Taka on his other side. The kid could not have been much older than Himeko.

[#c44a47 [b “I take it you’re from a city?”]] He rose a brow as a half smile worked its way onto his lips. [#c44a47 [b “Not many theaters in the country...That I know of. Be interesting to see one this far out. You have some very interesting clothes if you are from the sticks.”]] For the folks that could not afford to see one or even get close to one is, it would be a sight. Letting those green orbs soak in the colorful clothing that Taka was wearing, a thought came to him. [#c44a47 [b “Have you performed for government officials?”]] It was a long shot, but it would be something if they had met in passing. Tadashi highly doubted that it happened, even he knew when fantasy and reality drew the line. It had been years since he had been to any theater and more so since he had been close to one.

From their small group, he heard a stomach growl loud in protest as several plates sat in front of the group.[#c44a47 [b “Doesn’t look like they have your barbeque.”]] Tadashi shot a look over to Raiden as his finger edged close to the bowl closest to him. [#c44a47 [b “Alright! Let’s dig in!”]] Luckily, it was one of his favorites - who was he kidding, all food was his favorite. However, spinach noodles that had spicy tomato sauce and was topped with egg, potato, carrots, and beef seemed to be the cat's meow as he gulped in the first few bites. It looked like the hostess had brought them some dumplings, yak meat dumplings, sticky tofu, and a few cold vegetable dishes - Tadashi was not going near those. It was a good amount, if their group had been smaller, it would have been a feast for four.

[#c44a47 [b “Miss Dragon.”]] Tadashi called out, picking out a few meat dumplings with his chop sticks. It took him a moment to find her, as it seemed that she and Kitten had traded places. [#c44a47 [b “Are you from around here? You..have a certain style about you.”]] The God couldn’t quite place where he had seen it before, but the girl carried herself as if she were used to being with groups. Maybe just a large well to do family. [#c44a47 [b “You certainly have style and as Miss Mouse has mentioned a lot, you are quite pretty.”]] In all honesty, she reminded him of the girls from the capital. Everything was about fashion, latest hairstyles, and marriages. The thought of just how many girls were clawing their way into men's hearts for a chance almost made him groan a loud.]

En had meant the girl no harm in his offer, but it seemed that with the way her face fell from the smile to that of something that resembled rage or frustration, that he had offended her without knowing he was doing so. He straightened himself and watched as one of the others lifted her without much effort. The male too felt frustration, but for a completely different reason. ‘[#319177 [i Perhaps it would have been better for me to endure Tadashi’s line of questioning than attempt to help her,]]’ After a moment’s pause, he followed the rest of the group toward the lanterns of the village just ahead.

Being one of the last ones to enter the eatery, he caught the end of Tadashi’s speech of which seemed to have the rest of the group shocked and bewildered- despite their best efforts to not let the hostess know it was a dupe. At least they could sit down here for a while and dry off. They were moved toward a table near the back of the establishment- perhaps where they would cause the least amount of ruckus for the other people there with their large group. He seated himself near the end of the table- casting a glance toward Qin and Himeko who’d stuck themselves over at the other corner of the table.

“She’s more than capable. If she can carry a sword, she can walk like the rest of us without you boys to baby her. Besides, you can’t carry her the whole way there.”

Her words carried a hint of impatience- whether that impatience was directed toward Himeko’s whining that she could walk or the insistence that her companion be babied or bullied by the male members of the group, he wasn’t so sure they were unrelated. The man had to admit that she had a way with words. En was rather curious where she had gotten her ability crowd control so easily. It gave him the impression that she was used to working with crowds of large people daily, and the way she carried herself was certainly not like any peasant girl that he’d encountered in his travels from city to city. Though, she had a point, and he was rather embarrassed for offending her with his offer to help. Maybe he could make it up to Himeko at some point- though he simply moved his gaze from their group for the time being. Listening to what was said, he knew they were right. They all had to get accustomed to one another.

A simple lull in conversation passed over the group that stretched into a bit of an awkward silence- interrupted only by the hostess returning with not only liquor that had been requested by the lighter haired male that bore the curse of the snake but food as well. Fresh meat, baozi filled with vegetables, and rice. Everything other than the large bowls filled with rice were placed in the center of the table, and a new teapot filled with warm tea replaced the one that had cooled since their arrival.

“[#319177 I am sorry,]” En finally addressed Himeko- offering an apology to having bothered her before. “[#319177 Qin is right, and I never meant to offend you with my offer.]” Even if he chose to ignore him after this, he’d at least offer her this apology in hopes that she’d forgive him eventually.

“[#319177 Regarding side effects, though,]” He twisted the strand of now yellow hair around his index finger and looked away from Himeko to the bowl that had been placed in front of him. “[#319177 I can sort of sense when something bad will happen. Not that I’ll know what exactly will happen. I can only feel it not know what is coming. It’s not a pleasant experience. And the colored hair too, but I can’t tell you what the colors mean as I’m not even sure, myself.]” En supposed that was what happened when you were emotionally closed off to even your own emotions. He had a hint of what the colors meant- especially if it was violet or red- but it was best to tell them that he didn’t know. “[#319177 Though, the only thing that takes years from my life is what most might refer to as ‘bad luck’. When my curse is triggered, I can alter the probability of something happening, but it has never ended well. The last time I almost set the building on fire,]” Of course it had been accidental, but that was implied, he supposed. ]]

[#317d7a ~ [pic http://cdn.steamcommunity.com/economy/emoticon/blueflame] ~][QuestrialA scowl was already present on Chikusa's face the moment he stepped into the filled eatery, his clothes damp with rainwater. Fingers ran through his wet silver locks, dreading the fact that the filthy water from the skies were bound to damage his well-maintained hair more the longer it was wet. While he was tempted to at try to get it dry using a medium-sized cloth from his bag while waiting for their food, that was simply not what was supposed to be done at the dinner table. Even the eatery did not really demand formal dining etiquette, Chikusa was adamant from easily letting his guard down by being too comfortable in the place and the company he was with.

He was [i so] getting an umbrella the first chance he's able to, regardless if it would be a hassle to carry around while travelling. He can't have the weather further damaging his hair and his skin!

His thoughts were quickly whisked away from proper self-care to the situation the eatery was currently in. A crowd had gathered around a troubled hostess, and Chikusa could tell that everyone else was taking refuge from the rain as well, also hopeful for some warm food in this cold weather. An exhausted sigh left his lips. At this rate, all this establishment would be able to offer them were shelter from the heavy downpour and the uncomfortable warmth brought by the cramped area. If they were even able to acquire some space for themselves, their six-year time limit would be finished by then.

Untying his furoshiki slightly, he fished out a piece of cloth before quickly knotting its ends securely once again, mistrusting of the the people around him. He gently pressed the said cloth to his face, slowly drying it off, his attention shifting from one person in their group to another. At the arrival of the Dog carrying an obviously flustered Tiger, which was actually quite the amusingly cute sight, the God spoke up. [#c44a47 [b “These two young kids just got married.”]]

[i Oh?] Chikusa's eyebrows rose at the lie, a small smirk slowly making its way to his lips as Tadashi gradually created the sad little backstory of the newlyweds. He was a bit incredulous of the man's skill to fool the poor hostess but, surprisingly, it worked out quite well. He was almost sorry for the hostess who would have to deal with the complaining crowd. His gaze fell on their supposed leader. That was actually quite clever, for someone who appeared like a total idiot.

They were lead to a table, and Chikusa seated himself close to one of the table's corners. He was not keen on starting being chummy with these strangers-turned-allies by sitting between two of them, and he needed a bit of space to place his bag on. After attempting to dry off the strands of wet hair that stuck to his face, he placed the cloth back into the bag, placing it just beside him.

Chikusa sat in silence as Tadashi and one of the primary victims of his lies bantered, his eyes widening momentarily when vital information about the two came up. He looked at Himeko in scrutiny, not expecting the little fact about her life, before his gaze went to Tadashi at the mention of the man's trigger and its effect. His hand unconsciously traveled to his neck, promptly dropping to his lap once he realized what it was doing. Maybe it would be best if he kept his opinions of the man to himself.

The hostess arrived to serve them tea and he was almost thankful for her diverting his thoughts from the man's curse. He whispered a soft thank-you when the woman finished pouring steaming tea into his cup, offering her a small charming smile. A sense of satisfaction came when the hostess's cheeks flushed as she nodded in response before she moved on to another member of their group. Smirking slightly, he wrapped his chilled hands around his cup, relishing its warmth.

Thumb tracing the cup's mouth and eyes staring at his reflection on the drink, he quietly listened to the Dragon's suggestion on revealing their curses' side-effects. Qin went on, talking about what else the curse had brought her, and only then did Chikusa's stare leave his tea. He almost admired the scales covering the young woman's skin, even if it came with a price. It was quite dreadful, however, that she wouldn't be able to enjoy music at this state.

He was mid-sip when he heard her mention his name then correct herself with another man's name. Gracefully placing his cup back to the table, Chikusa looked at the smiling girl, confirming if it was truly him who she wished to address. [#317d7a [b "Chikusa,"]] he affirmed her first guess, before languidly pointing to the bearer of the curse of the Rat, [#317d7a [b "and that is Yu."]]

Taking a deep breath, he started, keeping his voice even, casual, even if what he was about to say required a tone that suggested otherwise, [#317d7a [b "If you would remember, the sight of blood triggers my curse,"]] he raised his bandaged hand, showing it to the others, before letting it fall back to the table, [#317d7a [b "Any living thing that my bare hands will touch will get poisoned, and meeting my glare at my triggered state may turn you to stone."]] Keeping his facade of nonchalance, he took another silent sip from his cup of tea before continuing, [#317d7a [b "There will also be markings of a snake's scales all over my body when the curse is in effect. That is the only time you have my consent to check my bare skin."]] In spite of the hint of malice in his tone, a smile was present on his lips.

The hostess returned with two plates of boiled peanuts for everyone to share, placing them in the middle of the table. She excused herself, before moving to attend to another table. Just as she passed Chikusa, he turned to her direction, calling out, [#317d7a [b "Excuse me."]]

She stalled, shooting him a questioning look. [b "Yes?"]

A gentle, easy smile was immediately on his face. [#317d7a [b "If it would not be a bother, may I request a jar of liquor along with our food?"]] He tilted his head, blinking up at her.

Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad, after all. Grinning in satisfaction, he turned back to his companions, his mood considerably lighter. [#317d7a [b "Anyway, may we know about what happens when your curses are triggered? Yu?"]] He glanced at the man. [#317d7a [b "Lin? Jun?"]]

Looking up the rather beautiful but old looking Inn that she and the group had stumbled upon, Jun admired the charm of the building. Tracing the outline of the roof with her eyes, her lips tugged into a satisfied grin as she inhaled the heavy scent of fresh food that spilled from the diner of the Inn. Listening to the constant conversation around her, she grunted quietly as someone shoved themselves into her, trying to quickly exit the large crowds that surrounded the entrance.

Being quite literally shoved out of her awe struck state, she slowly moved behind a larger man, Takumi, whom she found to look and sound kinder than the others. Standing closely behind him, she tapped his shoulder lightly in order to get his attention. "[#CD5C5C [b I hope you don't mind if I stand close behind you, there's lots of people coming in and out and I don't want to be in their way.]]" letting out a quiet laugh as she spoke to him, she hoped that he wouldn't find it too odd that she spoke to him.

Standing idol behind Taka, she dropped her sandals on the floor, mindlessly grabbing at the clothes of the brown haired man in front of her for support as if they were longtime friends. Realizing her rudeness, she quickly smoothed out the area of his clothing that she had grabbed, waving her opposite hand frantically as she did so. "[#CD5C5C [b I'm so sorry, I don't even know you and here I am potentially stretching out your clothes!!"]] pulling her hand away from him she couldn't help but feel a tad bit [i embarrassed] from her carelessness.

Turning her head away from the boy in hopes to not bother him more than she did, she listened as their overly confident leader, Takashi, worked his magic with the hostess of the Inn. "[#342769 [b These two young kids just got married.]]" [#CD5C5C [i Oh brother..]] Takashi was cunning, but couldn't he have chosen a less embarrassing excuse, especially if it involved the youngest and most innocent of them all.

Shaking her head as the hostess gobbled up the "love-story", she couldn't help but be slightly thankful towards Tadashi. If it weren't for his quick thinking, they'd be travelling even farther just to sit down and have a meal. Though, listening to the bickering of he and Himeko like they were siblings wasn't a plus side to the situation.

As things came to a calm, Jun settled down alongside of everyone else at their overly large table. Watching as the hostess brought warm tea, the long haired girl couldn't help but tip forward a bit to bow as a thanks for the tea and the seats.

Cupping her tea in her hands, her eyes flicked back and forth as she continued to listen to the three most talkative people make conversation. Sipping her tea ever so often she would find herself nodding in agreement with Qin almost every time she spoke. Qin was a smart girl, she understood the importance of most things and never failed to address them. Looking over at the amber-eyed Dragon girl, Jun couldn't help but give her a snake like smile as she explained her curse in depth.

"[#CD5C5C [b Oh, I bet tons of women were jealous of you, Qin.]]" Knowing the importance of beauty to the women of China, staying thin and porcelain was almost always the goal. With Qin's additional side effects, she is practically the perfect girl. Petite with beautiful skin, oh how lucky she was.

[#CD5C5C [b Not being able to hear music must be awful, especially if you had enjoyed playing an instrument yourself once upon a time. ]]" she had spoke to herself, continuing to sip her tea joyfully as her shoulders danced happily. While Qin kept the flow of the conversation, Jun's graze changed as Qin tossed the imaginary "speaker totem" to a young man with snow white hair.. his eyes piercingly yellow. Inspecting him further, Jun took note of his hair length. Although it might be odd, the girl who took pride in her hair length planned on seeing just who had the longest hair between the two of them after dinner.. watch out, Yu.

[size15 “[#3AA8C1 I can’t fault you for that.]” It was best not to drink in the presence of men they weren’t fully acquainted with. Though, she would hardly call them men. Perhaps in age, but not in maturity.

Jun wasn’t wrong; Himeko was quite cute. “[#3AA8C1 I’m envious of her if I’m honest,]” Qin uttered quietly to the other woman. “[#3AA8C1 Being able to see the good in the world when all it throws at you is bad is a trait I’m not sure some of us will ever be able to regain.]” She let out a soft laugh and gathered the skirt of her Hanfu and lifted it slightly as they sprinted toward the lights of the town. The smell of food made it hard to quell the nearly painful growls of hunger—almost as if she hadn’t eaten in days when it’d been just a few hours since her last meal. Thinking about the journey ahead of them, she knew that her needing to eat more than the others would be a rather large stumbling block- though she would do her best not to slow down her companions.

Stepping inside the dry warmth, Qin released wet hair from its confines—seemingly content just for the moment to be dry. Fingers worked wet strands into a single braid as she attempted to see over the crowd. A large group like theirs would certainly hit a few snags in the way of lodging and meals in a place where there was already a crowd. She had no intention of stepping back into the downpour just yet, however.

Before she could formulate a plan, Tadashi was already speaking— using them all as a rather well fabricated lie that seemed to have worked in their favor. While she couldn’t lie, herself, she rather admired his ability to think on his feet. ‘[i [#3AA8C1 Perhaps he’s not as stupid as I thought.]]’ Qin held in a soft snicker so as to keep the attention on the “newlyweds” rather than have to explain her thought. How the woman believed such a story was rather curious as none of them looked alike enough to be related, but once again, she kept the thought to herself.

“[#3AA8C1 Stop being so fussy and let a lady have some dignity. If she can walk, then let her; she’s not a baby,]” Qin interjected after the smaller girl whined for what felt like the millionth time that she was fine to walk. She took the seat next to Himeko. “[#3AA8C1 She’s more than capable. If she can carry a sword, she can walk like the rest of us without you boys to baby her. Besides, you can’t carry her the whole way there.]” While she was sure they’d meant no harm, Qin was rather offended by their lack of respect for her dignity and she wasn’t even the one they’d carried.

The girl lapsed into silence, simply listening to the banter between the brunette and Tadashi—seemingly surprised by the bit of information that was offered up. Being engaged or even almost married wasn’t something that Himeko had offered to her—not that she blamed her for not opening up to her. The two of them were virtual strangers despite their short time traveling together before meeting up with the larger group. She supposed she hadn’t been forthcoming about her own past either—not that she was willing to do that now in front of everyone here. Gazing once again around the table at the faces of her companions, interrupted only by the hostess returning with cups and a teapot that was full of warm tea. Perhaps it was not her favorite, but a warm drink was certainly welcome. Qin rested the warm cup between both hands and rested her forearms on the table.

“[#3AA8C1 None of us knows a lot about anyone here, really. Can you blame anyone for being curt and simple with their explanations? Certainly, everyone is entitled to their secrets, but I do think it wise to follow their lead to talk about our curses’… uh side-effects.]” Not that she would admit it, but a refresher on names could be useful as well, but she had her pride, and would simply have to do her best to remember from their hasty introductions from before.

Tadashi and his anger fueled god-curse, and Himeko’s lying fueled Tiger’s curse. Anger was dangerous, and she was almost glad that he wasn’t the angry type. Lying seemed to have gotten both the smaller girl and herself into this mess—though Qin knew her own lies were more internal than external.

“[#3AA8C1 As I said before, my curse is triggered by music and sometimes lying. When I realized that I was cursed, I had bruises that healed much faster than they should. This healing ability was coupled with an enhanced metabolic speed,]” Her fingers retracted from the cup and rubbed lightly at her left shoulder before she slowly pressed the fabric of her short wet sleeve from the metallic scales that adorned her slender shoulder. “[#3AA8C1 And this. It grows each time my curse is triggered.]” It probably scared her more than being cursed itself. Were they not covering her skin, she would have thought them almost pretty. Qin tugged the fabric back down before the other denizens other than her companions could take notice.

Honey colored hues flicked between those she’d yet to converse with much or even at all. “[#3AA8C1 What about you, Chikusa, right?]” The brief memory of him talking about his curse filtered through her mind. Some of the group seemed a bit put off by him, but she knew that first appearances could be deceiving, and so she withheld judgement until she could know him properly. “[#3AA8C1 Or… Yu, was it?]” She pressed the issue gently—painted lips once again upturning in a light smile. ]]